1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system including a cover endoscope and a coverless endoscope, a cover type endoscope unit covered with an endoscope cover capable of preventing contaminations on the endoscope, a channeled cover type endoscope unit having a channel formed in the endoscope cover, a holding tool in the endoscope system which holds the cover endoscope, etc. and a housing member of the cover type endoscope unit which houses the endoscope cover, etc.
2. Related Art and Prior Art Statement
An endoscopic examination involves the use of a clean endoscope that has been sufficiently washed and disinfected before the examination.
The endoscope is, after being employed in the somatic cavity of the patient, washed and disinfected. The washing and disinfection are, however, very time-consuming. Under such circumstances, there has been in recent years proposed a disposable cover type endoscope unit in place of a conventional repetitive-use endoscope (coverless endoscope) when effecting the endoscopic examination.
The cover type endoscope unit consists of a combination of an endoscope cover fitted to the outer periphery of an endoscope insert part or the like and a cover endoscope inserted into the endoscope cover. The cover type endoscope unit may include those disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Post-Exam Publication No. 2-54734 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,190.
Generally in the cover endoscope fitted with the endoscope cover, the insert part incorporates an imaging system or viewing optical system and a light guide fiber.
There is herein a possibility in which a treatment tool channel, an air supply conduit and a water supply conduit are contaminated with body fluids. Those conduits are elongate and therefore hard to clean and disinfect. Accordingly, some of the endoscope covers are equipped with conduits each opened at both ends such as a treatment tool channel, an air supply conduit and a water supply conduit.
The insert part of the cover endoscope is previously washed and disinfected. Then, the endoscope is inserted into the somatic cavity of the patient while the insert part of the endoscope is covered with the endoscope cover. After being employed, the endoscope cover is removed and then abandoned. The endoscope cover is thus disposable for every patient. The endoscope is not therefore required to be washed and disinfected. The operation is very simple. Then, the endoscope is continuously usable without re-washing and re-disinfection.
By the way, the endoscope system using the endoscope cover has a different construction from the presently-employed coverless endoscope (i.e., an endoscope used with no cover). No consideration is therefore given to a relativity between the coverless endoscope and an image viewable therethrough, a configuration of a manipulation part and a manipulability.
The endoscope requires a well-experienced manipulation. If unexperienced in terms of manipulating technique, it may happen that an undesirable strong force is applied to the somatic cavity. The well-experienced manipulating technique is required for preventing the somatic wall from being damaped and the patient from undergoing an excessive pain.
While on the other hand, even a well-skilled operator in terms of manipulating technique has to get accustomed to the manipulating feeling when dealing with an endoscope system which causes a different manipulation feeling and a different visual field. It is therefore required that a careful examination be effected so as not to give the excessive pain to the patient especially for a period during which the operator gets accustomed.
Hence, it is desirable that even the cover endoscope proposed in recent years be used with a similar feeling to that in the conventional coverless endoscope.
Further, in the endoscope system using the endoscope cover, the distal end thereof is required to be covered therewith. Cover lenses have to be provided in positions corresponding to a viewing optical system and illumination optical systems of the cover endoscope.
Accordingly, it follows that a field angle is narrowed corresponding to a thickness of the cover glass. If narrowed, the manipulating feeling becomes different. Besides, a more careful examination is required to be conducted to prevent an oversight of the diseased part due to an increase in dead angle.
As described above, it is desirable that even the endoscope system to which the cover endoscope is connected be employed with a similar feeling to that in the conventional coverless endoscope system.
Then, the subject may suffer from the excessive pain because of a difference in impression that is derived from configurational differences on screen and in range of visual field from those in the conventional system, an unfitted manipulating feeling and a forcible insertion as well. Further, the oversight of the diseased part is induced due to the difference in configuration of a visually accustomed screen. To prevent such things, the manipulator is required of much carefulness.
Still further, the cover endoscopes in the related art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,722 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,585. Each of those cover endoscopes includes a locating member for locating the channel. The cover endoscope and the insert part cover section are fixed to each other.
The cover endoscope has such an inevitability in terms of structure that a forceps outlet is opened upwardly (in an UP-direction) of the visual field or in a position in accordance with its layout.
On the other hand, the coverless endoscope is typically constructed so that the forceps insert inlet is protruded from the left downward side with respect to the UP-direction defined as a bending direction in the case of, e.g., an upper digestive duct oriented endoscope but from the right downward side in the case of a lower digestive duct oriented endoscope.
The well-experienced examiner to the manipulation thereof takes the trouble to bring the forceps outlet to a safety position by letting the protruding direction of the treatment tool apart from the somatic wall when employing the treatment tool in a location close to the somatic wall. The examiner then protrudes the treatment tool. The reason for this lies in a difficulty to make the treatment tool reach a target location if the forceps outlet is positioned close to the somatic wall.
The situation is the same with the cover endoscope disclosed in the Patent Publications given above. A position of the opening (outlet) is regulated in terms of structure. The treatment tool is positioned too close to the somatic wall, with the result that the bending manipulation is not performed well. This also results in worsening of an aiming performance of the treatment tool. For this reason, the user may feel a difficulty in use.
Further, the positional relation between the outlet of the treatment tool and the viewing window is fixed in the conventional cover endoscope. The user therefore feels the difficulty in use because of the treatment coming out from an unaccustomed position (from the direction of visual field) depending on an object to be viewed.
The manipulation part of the endoscope is Grasped with the left hand. It is a common practice that the insert part is fed with the right hand when inserting the insert part; and the treatment tool is also inserted from the forceps insert port with the right hand. In the coverless endoscope that has hitherto been employed, an opening of the forceps insert port is formed on the right side in the UP-direction (upwards in the bending direction) in the manipulation part, thereby facilitating the manipulation of the treatment tool with the right hand.
In the case of the cover endoscope, however, the position of the forceps insert port is not prescribed in unification. In some cases, the insert port is opened in a DOWN-direction (downwards) in the manipulation part. Based on such a construction, the insertability of the treatment tool gets worse so much. Further, even in the endoscope having the forceps insert port formed in the insert part cover section covered on the endoscope insert part, if provided on the left side in the DOWN-direction in the manipulation part, the insertability similarly declines.
Then, if the insertability is poor, the user makes an attempt to direct the forceps insert port in an easy-to-insert direction with a twist of the left hand. It follows that even a distal end portion is simultaneously twisted. When the distal end portion is shifted, the visual field also shifts, with the result that the diseased part fails to be found out, or the aiming performance declines.
In addition, the operator accustomed to the use of the coverless endoscope has hitherto tended to feel the difficulty in use of the cover endoscope to such an extent that the operator does not concentrate on the examination.
Further, when utilizing the cover endoscope in combination with the coverless endoscope, and if the manipulability differs, the endoscopic examination can not, it seems, be smoothly conducted.
The consideration has to be given to the following points other than the above-mentioned in the cover type endoscope system. When the fitting the endoscope cover, the cover endoscope is likely to be contaminated; or alternatively, when removed, there is a likelihood in which the contaminants adhered to the endoscope cover are diffused to the surroundings. It is thus impossible to keep the ambient environment in a sanitary state. The manipulator is also required of the cautious manipulation to avoid such a situation.
Further, the endoscope cover consists of a plurality of cover members for covering on the whole cover endoscope when examined. The endoscope cover has to be supplied together with a mouthpiece, etc. in a well-sanitized state. Then, the endoscope cover is constructed of the plurality of cover members, and hence, if those cover members are not completely prepared, a trouble is caused in the examination. Especially when even one of the cover members of the endoscope cover lacks, there exists a possibility of the cover endoscope being contaminated during the examination. It follows that the examination can not be started.